Theatre Performance and Technology
The Development of Scenography in the Twentieth Century
Published on 8. November 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-4039-1697-6 (ISBN)
Description
Throughout history, all great theatre cultures have used technology as an important part of performance: as a means to shift and change scenic appearance, and as visual rhetoric, spectacle and show. Revolutionary scientific thinking in the twentieth century, alongside the technology to use electric light in performance, served to underpin the ideas of Appia, Craig, Meyerhold, Terence Gray, Caspar Neher and Josef Svoboda. Distinctive though their ideas remain, they were unified in their firm belief that new forms of performance would only be achievable through a detailed and close study of artistic resources and technologies. Their practices and understandings have served both to significantly expand and to create distinctive new connections and possibilities between technology, scenography and performance. In this stimulating survey, Christopher Baugh explores the ways in which development and change in technology have been reflected in scenography, and considers how change in scenographic identity has impacted upon the place and meaning of performance.
Reviews / Votes
'An extremely valuable work, which combines detailed analysis with a helpful contextual overview.' - Professor Dominic Shellard, University of Sheffield, UK 'There simply are no competing texts: Chris Baugh's unique arrangement of scenographic buttons is immediately a key work in the field - invaluable and long overdue.' - Richard Downing, University of Wales, Aberystwyth 'Baugh provides eloquent examples of the ways in which scientific discoveries and theatrical innovations interrelate...Throughout, Baugh exhibits extensive knowledge and investment in his subject matter, providing plentiful examples and historical contextualization.' Alicia Tycer - Theatre NotebookMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Gordonsville
United States
Publishing group
Palgrave USA
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
26 b&w photographs
Dimensions
Height: 215 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
352 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4039-1697-6 (9781403916976)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
CHRISTOPHER BAUGH is Professor of Theatre at th University of Hull, and Emeritus Professor of Performance and Technology at the University of Leeds. He is himself a professional stage designer, is Chair of the Society for Theatre Research's Research Committee, was on the planning committee for The Globe Theatre, Bankside, and is editor of the journal Scenography International (with Christine White).
Content
List of Illustrations General Editors' Preface Preface: On Writing Theatre History and My Mother's Button Box Acknowledgements Introduction: Theatres, Performances and Technologies Performing Great Exhibitions: A Nineteenth-Century Speciality Rejection of the Past: A Modern Mode of Thought The Scene as Machine: Part 1: Scenography as a Machine for Performance The Scene as Machine: Part 2: Constructing and Building the Scene as Machine The Scene as Machine: Part 3: The Kinetic Stage Machines of Josef Svoboda The Century of Light: Part 1: Diffused and Living Light The Century of Light: Part 2: Light Beams and Images The Scene as the Architecture of Performance Some Rejections of Technology in Theatre and Performance New Technologies and Shifting Paradigms Notes Further Reading Bibliography Index